In This Together
by AwesomeMcGeeofCaledonia
Summary: Norman Jayden has helped Ethan Mars evade the police. Now considered an accomplice, Norman has no choice but to follow along with Ethan if they are to have any hope in finding Shaun Mars.
1. Prologue: On the Loose

**HEAVY **_**RAIN **_

In This Together

Based on an Idea Presented By: Jimmy Hudson 1207

Written By: AwesomeMcGeeofCaledonia

Rated T+ for Strong Language, Violence, (Fictional) Drug References, and Sexual References

Disclaimer: Heavy Rain is owned by Quantic Dream; the events referred to in this story are based on events in Heavy Rain, which was written by David Cage. The basic premise of this story is based on an idea presented by the user Jimmy Hudson 1207. I own nothing.

Quick Synopsis: Ethan Mars had been chased by the cops in the chapter, "On the Loose" with little warning from Madison Paige; but, what if he had received help in the form of Norman Jayden?

Author's Note: When Jimmy Hudson 1207 gave me the basic premise for a new possible fanfic, I immediately saw some potential. As far as "What If?" scenarios go, I'm still debating how much of Heavy Rain's latter continuity will be changed. We'll see. Also, the Prologue's time setting is slightly fooked up; upon seeing the time "On the Loose" starts up, I factored in the sexy-time with Madison, and just assumed where that would take us.

"Everything I did, I did for LOVE." - Ethan Mars

XXX

Prologue - On the Loose

Friday

12:40 A.M.

4.454 inches

_ Dammit, Blake is going after the wrong guy, and the bastard knows it! _Norman Jayden was visibly shaking as angry thoughts of his partner, Lt. Carter Blake, came rushing through his head.

The rain; it hadn't stopped raining since Norman arrived in the city. It had been pouring down all week; hell, for all he knew, all month.

The Cross Road Motel's receptionist looked visably pleased; having the Origami Killer staying at his hotel would probably get him a lot of press coverage.

_No, not the Origami Killer_, Norman thought to himself, _Ethan Mars is __**not **__the Origami Killer._

The raid was about to get underway. He was prepared to do anything in his power to make sure it wasn't successful.

XXX

Ethan released Madison from his embrace. He had only just met her less than two days ago, but she made him feel... alive. He hadn't felt this way for the past two years, not since Jason had passed away.

Despite the fact that she had initially lied to him about her identity, he had chosen to forgive her; he knew she was sincere in her apology.

Madison looked deeply into Ethan's eyes, and then slowly turned around. She made her way for the door.

"I'm gonna go and see if I can't find us something to eat," Madison told him, grabbing the handle. "I won't be long."

She exited the room, and closed the door behind her.

_I should just leave... she'll only slow me down,_ Ethan thought, assessing the current situation. _Then, once this is all over, maybe I can find her again. Shaun is my number one priority right now._

Ethan turned towards the destiny-defining shoebox on the desk behind him. On it lay the last origami figure, the location of his final trial.

_But, maybe I should wait for her, _he thought, looking back towards the door, _Maybe she can help me._

XXX

"...room 207," the receptionist finished telling Blake.

_207, gotta be quick, _Norman thought to himself, as Blake continued to talk with the receptionist.

Norman, using the directions the receptionist had given the police squad searching for Ethan Mars, briskly walked towards the back of the courtyard to a flight of stairs.

"Alright, let's go get this son of a bitch!" Blake called, exiting the receptionist's office with the other officers.

Norman's speed increased, his pulse rising. He _had_ to make it to Ethan before the others could. Images of Tripto flooded Norman's mind.

_You need to calm down. No, no... you need to take some Tripto, it always helps you think! _Norman's inner conflict was making his trip prove difficult.

"You gotta get to room 207, dammit..." he quietly told himself. "Come on."

The footsteps turned into drum beats behind him. He was going to have to move faster. With all his speed, Norman made a straightline through the courtyard, and ran up the first set of stairs. Just as he began to head up the next set, he narrowly missed a head-on collision with a beautiful, young woman. A familiar-looking woman...

Without stopping, he reached the top of the second set of stairs, and yelled back, "Sorry!"

_Only three more to go..._

XXX

Madison had only just looked up when the pale man almost ran into her; she stopped dead in her tracks and closed her eyes, bracing for the impact, when... she hadn't been knocked over.

"Sorry!" the man yelled from the top of the steps she had just come off of. She exhaled her stored breath.

_That was close..._

Madison couldn't believe what she was seeing; police officers where strewn all over the motel's courtyard.

_Ethan; they're here for Ethan! _She mentally screamed. She had to act fast. _Wait, was that guy a cop?_

It didn't matter; if he was, he'd have already reached Ethan, and she'd be too late. But if he wasn't...

She had an idea; she'd call Ethan's room, and warn him. If the man wasn't a cop, Ethan would pick up.

As quickly as she could, Madison made it to the ground level, and initiated a mad dash for the receptionist's office.

_I just hope I'm not too late!_

XXX

The pounding on his door had scared him senseless.

"Jesus!" he yelled out, his heart close to jumping out of his chest.

"Ethan!" came an unrecognizable voice on the other side of the door. "Ethan, open the door, I'm here to help you!"

_What the hell's going on?_ Ethan thought. He really didn't have time to think. The police were out looking for him somewhere, and surely it was only a matter of time before they found him.

_Fuck it._

Ethan, giving in, walked over to the door, unlocked it, and slowly turned the handle; the door burst open, and he almost fell over. A man in a black suit came rushing in. He whirled around, slammed the door, and re-locked it. He was hunched over, breathing heavily.

"Who the hell are you?" Ethan asked, a shocked expression on his face.

"I'm- I'm," the man studdered, inhaling deeply. "I"m Norman Jayden, F.B.I."

Norman regained his composure, and stood up.

"What are you doing here? Are you here to arrest me?" Ethan asked, slowly backing up towards the sliding door leading to the room's balcony.

"No, no," Norman began, "I know you're not the Origami Killer, Ethan. Don't ask me how, I just do. I'm here to get you out; the police are out there, and if you don't come with me, they _are_ going to arrest you. We need to find your son, Ethan. We need to find Shaun."

_Forgive me, Madison,_ Ethan thought.

Turning towards the shoebox on the desk once more, Ethan quickly glanced at the objects surrounding it; a handgun, a cellphone, and an origami rat. Scooping up the latter two, he shoved them into his pockets. He carefully picked up the gun, and put it inside his coat pocket.

"Alright, let's go," he said.

"Now, hold on," Norman commanded, blocking the front door. "We can't go out this way."

"The balcony!" Ethan exclaimed, turning toward the sliding door. He slid it open, and looked out over the edge. He sighed and turned around, shrugging his shoulders. "The fall would kill us..."

_You're not giving up,_ he told himself. _You're going to find Shaun, no matter what the cost. Even if it means trusting whoever in the hell this guy is with your life._

The bed! They could move the bed out onto the balcony, lift it over the railing, and- no, too time-consuming, and worse, probably impossible. The mattress!

"Hey, help me with the mattress," Ethan said, walking over to the right side of the bed, thrusting his hands under the mattress.

Norman, realizing where he was going, reciprocated his action on the left side. WIth a heave, they lifted the mattress off the bed's frame, and maneuvered their way over to the now open sliding door. Turning the mattress on its side, Ethan carefully angled his portion through the frame. Once he made it through, he lifted the mattress up onto the railing.

"Careful, now," Norman warned.

As slowly and cautiously as they could, the two pushed the mattress over the railing, and watched it land flat on the ground.

"We did it," Ethan breathed. He climbed over the ledge, hung above the mattress for a second or two, and then let go; the world flew past him, and suddenly he hit something solid. The mattress, of course. He stood up, his adrenaline high.

Now it was Mr. F.B.I.'s turn.

XXX

_I can't do it, _Norman told himself. _I need Tripto... I need it. It'll calm me down._

Norman reached into his jacket's pocket, and pulled out a tube of blue liquid. Taking the lid off, he inhaled the fumes of the volatile substance.

Almost immediately, his blood pressure returned to normal, his pulse slowed, and he was able to think clearly. He pocketed the tube once more.

_Alright, my turn_.

Just as Norman began to work himself over the ledge, he heard loud banging against the room's door.

_Outta fucking time!_

Norman pushed himself from the ledge, and landed on the mattress. Quickly, he stood up.

Ethan motioned towards the other side of the street.

"Come on, we don't have time!" Ethan told him, breaking for their only hope of escape.

"Where the hell are we going?" Norman asked him, genuinely unsure of their next move.

"I have an origami figure with an address on it," Ethan told him, still running. "Once we find a place to rest, we'll check it out."

Norman didn't really have any choice but to listen to him. It surprised him that Ethan was this trusting...

_Oh well... it doesn't really matter now. We're in this together. I just hope it wasn't wrong for ME to be so trusting of HIM..._

XXX

Mike Vance nodded at the officer to his left; within a second, with their combined efforts, they had kicked the door to room 207 down.

Guns drawn, they both slowly entered.

_I'm getting too old for this shit_, Mike told himself.

Apparantly, the phone had been ringing before they busted in, as a message was playing over the answering machine.

"Ethan!" came the voice of a woman. "Ethan, the cops are coming for you! Are you there? Oh no... Ethan, I'm sorry!"

Mike looked at the other officer.

"This is the right room..." Mike sighed, pulling out his radio. He pressed a button. "Lt. Blake? The suspect got away."

"God dammit! Too fucking slow for your own good, you know that Vance? God... DAMMIT!" his lieutenant yelled back through the receiver.

_Yeah, __**WAY**__ too old for this shit..._

XXX

Author's Note: Not too shabby if I do say so myself. Sadly, I may have emptied all of my creativeness into my other fanfic, but given time (and a rebuilding of my vocabulary), this could turn into something abso-fan-freaking-tastic. Well, if you would kindly, please review this segment; whether it be for constructive criticism, praising me, I don't care. Watch out for chapter 1!


	2. Accomplices

Chapter 1 - Accomplices

Friday

7:51 A.M.

4.702 inches

Blake wasn't, in the least bit, surprised. Captain Perry, however, seemed to have a different reaction.

"It just doesn't make any sense..." Perry replied, stroking his balding head.

"It's not too hard to believe," Blake admitted, a smirk on his face. "Ethan Mars is the Origami Killer, and Norman Jayden is his accomplice. It explains why Jayden was always so protective of Mars when we accused him."

Perry shook his head. "Why would he have tried so hard to catch him during that apartment incident?"

Blake looked around Perry's office, contemplating this.

"Well..." Blake began. "It was just for show, what else? Listen, just give me the go ahead, and we'll add Jayden's name to the hunt. I want to bring these sick bastards in, for what it's worth."

Blake looked over Perry's face; he was afraid he wouldn't be able to change his mind.

"Hmm..." Perry sighed, looking up to meet Blake's gaze. "Do it."

"Yes si-"

"But," Perry interrupted, "If it turns out you were wrong about this... expect there to be consequences."

Blake's expression hadn't changed. The smirk on his face grew to an unbelievable length.

"I'm not wrong."

And with that, Blake spun around, and walked out of the captain's office, closing the door behind him.

Perry watched the shades slowly rock back and forth, hitting the door every few seconds.

_And to think, I almost kind of liked that kid..._ Perry thought, accepting what Blake had told him.

XXX

Madison buried her face in the recently-cleaned pillow case. Hot tears flowed down her face, dripping onto the pillow.

_He was the best thing that's happened to me since God knows when, and I failed him! _she thought.

She sobbed, the room melting around her.

She should've just left the Cross Road Motel altogether; it would only remind her of her failure. Being an insomniac most definitely did _not_ have it's advantages.

Her hotel room had barely been visited since she checked in. For all she knew, she had probably spent more time in Ethan's room. Or at least it seemed that way. Hell, she thought of room 207 before room 201.

_Two days... two days of knowing him, and already it seems like I'm falling in love, _she thought. She knew that it was way, _way_ too early to have feelings like that about Ethan, but she couldn't help it.

If she didn't discover the identity of the Origami Killer soon, terrible things could happen to Ethan... not to mention Shaun; terrible things.

_I've come this far... I'm so close. I can't give up now._

Summoning all the courage and perserverance she could, Madison got herself to sit up in the bed, her legs outstretched over its large body. She stared down at the disgusting, discolored carpet.

_Can't give up._

XXX

The alley-way was more inviting to him then any motel room ever would be. Rain poured down from the over-flowing gutters, falling to the ground in large puddles.

"Well, I guess this is as safe as we're going to get," Ethan told Norman, sitting down against a brick wall. Because the entire alley was virtually one big puddle of rain, his pants became drenched. "Aw, shit..."

Norman looked around the alley-way, making sure they were the only people in the area.

"I don't mean to worry you Ethan," he began, "But we probably have less than twelve hours to find Shaun. We need to work fast if-"

"I know," Ethan told him, holding out his hand to stop him from talking. "I don't plan on waiting around. Like I said, I have an origami figure with an address on it; we go to the address, we find out where Shaun is."

_I don't think he's going to be much help if he's going to complain the whole time... _Ethan thought, reaching into his jacket's pocket. He pulled out the origami figure in the form of a rat. _A rat, just like the bastard who took Shaun._

Hunching over so the rain would hit the back of his head rather than the origami figure, Ethan slowly unraveled it, marveling at the craftsmanship; it didn't look like your basic origami figure... whoever did this had had many years of practice.

_Christ, it sounds like you're praising his work, _Ethan thought, unfolding the last of the figure.

XXX

Watching Ethan unwrap the origami figure made Norman feel sick. This man was getting ready to read a message from the killer himself.

_He shouldn't have to go through this, _Norman told himself.

Thunder exploded in the skies overhead, causing him to jump.

"You alright there?" Ethan laughed, continuing to unwrap the figure.

"Huh? Oh... yeah," Norman replied, feeling foolish. "I just... I'm not used to all this shit... the weather."

He put his hands in his coat pockets, trying to hide the embarrassment he now felt.

"Well, after all that's happened," Ethan began, unfolding the final crease, "I wouldn't care if I never saw another drop of rain again..."

"Amen to that," Norman agreed.

Norman watched Ethan's lips move as he read the contents of the message to himself.

"What's it say?" Norman asked of him. "Where are we headed?"

Ethan picked himself up off the ground, and pocketed the now-unfolded piece of brown paper.

"The last letters are at 961 Rainbow Lane," Ethan told him, already making his way out of the alley.

"Letters?" Norman asked, completely lost in this game the Origami Killer was playing.

Ethan stopped in his tracks, and turned around to face Norman.

"I found a box with five origami figures in it, each labeled with an address; if I go to each location and complete the trial, I get letters to a hangman. Once it's completed, I will have the address of Shaun's location," Ethan told him in a "I'm not going to repeat this" tone.

"And this is the last one?" Norman asked, digesting all of Ethan's information.

"It had better be," Ethan told him, his eyes weary. "If it's not... I'm not sure how much more I can take."

XXX

Shaun opened his eyes with some difficulty.

_So... cold..._

He had been in the confined space for two years; or so it seemed. How long had he been there? He'd lost track of time, as if he'd kept track to begin with; as if it even mattered.

"Dad..." he muttered aloud. "Where... are you?"

He couldn't even cry... couldn't even yell...

The water was rising. The sky was filled with dark clouds.

Shaun was sure that by the end of the day, his heart would cease its rhythmic beating.

_I love you, dad._

XXX

Author's Note: Yes, yes, I realize this chapter was extremely short. This entire week, I was incredibly busy. Non-stop busy-ness. I was lucky to get in what I could. Besides, had I taken any longer, I'm sure most of you would have lost interest. I'm afraid that with this being set so close to the end of the game, I won't be able to get in as many chapters as a full fledged fan-fic should have. Fear thee not, I will have a reasonable amount of chapters, though. Hell, there's still quite a few hours to go before it reaches the game's ending time. One more note: Yes, I know that I skipped seven hours and failed to explain what Ethan and Norman did during that time period. Just... we'll say that they hid out somewhere and got some rest. Hey, the game itself had many plot holes, too! As usual, if you could leave a review, it would be muchly appreciated! Thank you to those who reviewed the prologue! Honestly, had it not been for you, I probably would've put even less effort into getting this chapter out.


	3. Have a Nice Trip

Chapter 2 - Have a Nice Trip

Friday

9:33 A.M.

4.839 inches

The mountains looked beautiful. He couldn't even believe something so amazing could exist. The grass was the darkest shade of green he'd ever seen, the sky the lightest shade of blue... not a single cloud in the sky.

_Have I found Shaun? _Norman thought to himself, admiring the view.

"No," came a reply from behind him.

Norman spun around to find Carter Blake.

"What the fuck are you doing, Jayden?" Blake asked him. "Helping the Origami Killer now?"

Norman sighed deeply, putting his hand to his now sweating brow.

"Ethan Mars... is _not_... a killer," he told Blake, angrily.

"I've had enough of this shit!" Blake yelled, pulling a gun out from the waist of his pants. "I'm gonna kill you, then I'm gonna find that sick bastard."

Blake raised the gun to his eye-line, pointing it at Norman.

"Nighty-night, Norman."

He pulled the trigger. Norman only had enough time to blink as the bullet entered his forehead.

XXX

"FUCK!" Norman yelled, waking up from his nightmare; he looked around.

_Where the hell am I?_

He appeared to be in... well, he didn't quite know. The room was dark, wherever it was. It also smelled terrible. He sat up against the wall (or what he thought was a wall), and rested his legs on the floor.

_Dark room... smells like shit... where's Ethan? I swear to God if he just left me to die somewhere... what time is it? _

Norman then remembered his dream. The mountain... he had seen it once before, when he was using A.R.I.

_A.R.I.!_

Norman reached into his coat pocket, feeling around for the high-tech glasses. His hand hit something solid. He pulled the glasses out, and unfolded the arms. He raised them up, and pulled them towards his face.

"Shit!" he yelled, having jabbed one of the arms into his right eye. He lowered them, then began to rub at his eye.

_Too damn dark... I'm probably gonna kill myself in here._

Attempting the action again, Norman successfully put the glasses on, pushing them up the bridge of his sweaty nose. The moment the glasses were on, the room was filled with orange hues. He could finally see.

_What... the... fuck..._

Bodies - mutiliated beyond identification - and blood were strewn all around the room.

"Ethan?" Norman called out, bile making its way up his throat. "Etha-" He puked. The smell... the sight... it was all too much.

Suddenly, a door burst open, and a bright light flooded the room. A man stepped through.

"Ethan..." Norman began, wiping the vomit from the edge of his mouth. "Where the hell are we?"

Norman's eyes followed Ethan's left hand as it went down to his coat pocket. Ethan's hand disappeared inside the pocket, and when he removed it, Norman could clearly make out an origami figure.

"I'm the Origami Killer, Norman," Ethan began, not a hint of emotion in his voice.

Norman watched as the origami figure transformed into a knife. Ethan ran at Norman, snarling.

Norman rolled out of the way as Ethan ran into the wall.

"Ethan? What's gotten into you?" Norman pointlessly asked, jumping to his feet. "You're not the killer, dammit!"

Ethan quickly turned around, and charged at Norman once more, knife raised.

Norman caught Ethan's left arm just as it came down.

"Ethan, are you insane?" Norman asked, A.R.I. indicating that his heart rate was 132 BPM.

_Since when has A.R.I. told me that? _He thought, pushing the note out of his head when he remembered he was in a desperate struggle for his life.

"No..." Ethan said, gritting his teeth. "Just mad!"

Ethan must've went into overdrive, as his arm suddenly broke through Norman's hold, and cut down the agent's chest.

"FUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK!" Norman screamed, leaping backwards.

Ethan began laughing, slowly walking towards him.

"Where's Shaun?" Norman asked, thinking of anything to say to keep from feeling the excruciating pain pulsating from his chest.

"Shaun?" Ethan asked. "Shaun is dead you stupid fuck! He's dead, and it's all your fault!"

"My... fault?" Norman asked, vision blackening.

_I'm gonna pass out, and this crazy bastard's gonna kill me! _

Tripto! He had to have it! It would help him.

Ethan, this time with absolutely no warning, ran at Norman, and thrusted the knife right through his gut.

"Rot in hell," Ethan whispered in his ear, pulling the knife out slowly.

_This is-_

Norman fell backwards, head smashing against the concrete floor: dead.

XXX

"It happened again," Norman told Ethan, staring at the dull wall of the warehouse they were hiding in.

"Huh?" Ethan asked, snapping out of his own trance.

"That weird... dream. The one where you kill me." Norman said.

"The same dream, three times in just two hours?" Ethan asked. "It sounds to me like you need to actually get some sleep."

"I know why I'm seeing these things..." Norman told him.

_If I tell him my secrets, what the hell's he going to do? Tell the cops?_

"I, uh... I have some- problems."

"Problems?" Ethan asked. "You mean... like a drug problem?"

_This guy can read minds._

"Uhm... yeah... yeah, like a drug problem. But you see," Norman replied. "I have these glasses; they're called A.R.I. They help me with my investigations. Ever since they were issued to me, though, I've found myself using them just... just a _little_ too much."

"A.R.I.?" Ethan asked. "I've heard rumors about that. The technology wasn't thought to exist."

"Well, I can assure you, it does," Norman said matter-of-factly. "And because I use A.R.I. too much, I've been forced to use Triptocaine to help me find a balance. After using A.R.I., I start to have these... trips. That's when I inhale some Tripto..."

Ethan had a strange look on his face

"I just felt like telling you..." Norman began. "Never told anyone before..."

There was a few moments of silence.

"Well..." Ethan started, awkwardly. "Just this week, I've suffered from two blackouts, and when I came to... I found an origami figure in my hand."

Norman's eyes got wide.

_Just like in the dream!_

"You mean... you really are-?"

Ethan shook his head.

"Honestly, I don't know," Ethan told him. "See... I may suffer from a split-personality disorder without even knowing it. I have this theory, that maybe my other half is trying to test my love for Shaun."

"That actually doesn't sound too far-fetched. Probably not true, but it is a possibility."

_Listen to the way I'm talking to this guy... he could be the killer, for Christ sakes! But, no... it just doesn't make any sense._

"You got the time?" Ethan asked, checking his wrist only to find he had no watch.

Norman - _Just like that dream... -_ pulled out A.R.I. to check the time.

"9:48 A.M." was in an orange hue.

_Orange... what's new?_

"It's about 9:50." Norman told him, taking A.R.I. off, and pocketing it.

"We don't have much time," Ethan told him, jumping up. "We've rested long enough... we have to find Shaun... I have to find Shaun..."

Norman stood up as well.

"Alright, so how do you plan on getting to Rainbow Lane? We don't have a car... we're fugitives. Not a good combination if you ask me."

"I just might have an idea..." Ethan told him. "Face down, back-alleys only... don't walk too close."

Ethan ran for the exit, and pushed it open, stepping out into the _extremely _heavy rain.

_I still have no idea what the fuck that guy's talking about half the time..._

Author's Note: Once I sat down and began writing this chapter, it all just came naturally (that's what she said). Quickest completed chapter so far (one day). Basically, this chapter was just to show how bad Norman's A.R.I./Tripto relationship can get, and to establish a little trust between Norman and Ethan. Also, because of that ending, I actually already have an idea of what'll happen in the next chapter. I know it was short, but I felt like there was a long over-due update needed. Remember; review! Thanks.


	4. Outta Time

Chapter 3 - Outta Time

Friday

9:55 A.M.

4.844 inches

_Damn this rain..._ Ethan thought, running accross the road. Looking up, he spotted the sign he had hoped to find: "City Garage". He opened the metal door to the garage and stepped inside, the warm current of the room pushing against him.

_Hope I didn't lose Norman back there..._

The door closed with a loud "CLACK!". Ethan spotted the same mechanic that had been working just a few days prior. The man, realizing he had a customer, wiped his greasy hands off on his blue jumpsuit.

"Ah, hello there, sir," the man greeted Ethan. "What can I do for yah?"

_Here goes..._

"Uhm, I was wanting to know if I could borrow a car..." Ethan told the man.

A look that stated "Are you completely mentally ill?" crossed the man's face.

"I'm afraid I can't loan out cars sir. They don't belong to me. I just fix 'em up, store 'em..."

The entrance door opened once again, screeching on the old hinges. Norman stepped in, soaking wet.

"Any luck?" Norman asked Ethan.

"No," Ethan sighed. He looked back at the man. "Listen to me: my son's life is at stake! I need a car so I can find him!"

"Wait a minute... you're all over the news. You came in here the other day, didn't you? You're that God damned Origami Killer! Stay away from me!" the man screamed, backing away.

"I don't have time for this!" Ethan yelled.

_Drastic times call for drastic measures, I suppose._

Ethan reached for something inside his coat pocket. Before the mechanic had time to react, Ethan had a gun trained on him.

"I'm going to find my son, whether it means killing you or not," Ethan told him in a menacing tone.

"Ethan, surely there's another way around this," Norman protested, reaching out to Ethan.

"Okay, don't shoot!" the man pleaded, trembling. "The keys are in the office over there." He tilted his head to the side, pointing the office out for Ethan and Norman, just in case they were dumb enough to pass it up.

"I'll find some," Norman told Ethan, disappearing inside the office.

While Norman was looking for a set of keys, Ethan decided to calm the man down.

"Look, I'm sorry I'm putting you through this. I promise, once this is all resolved, I'll bring you the keys back," Ethan told the man.

He just shook his head. "Keep the keys, they're yours! I never want to see you in my life again!"

"I'm not a bad man," Ethan assured him. "I just... I love my son. I love my son."

Norman returned, jingling a set of keys in his hand.

"You drive. I got the shakes." Norman tossed the keys through the air. Ethan caught them, all the while keeping the gun on the mechanic.

**xXx**

Roy couldn't believe his luck. Here he was being held up by the Origami Killer himself, and things looked bleak. A gun aimed at him... all that needed to happen was one movement of an index finger, and he would cease to exist.

"I love my son," the Origami Killer told Roy.

_Oh, I bet you sick son of a bitch..._ Roy thought.

"You drive. I got the shakes," the killer's accomplice said, throwing a set of keys to him.

The Origami Killer caught them, and put them in his pocket.

"Come on Ethan, we have'ta go!" the man told him, running for the elevator shaft in the back of the room.

Roy noticed tears rolling down the Origami Killer's face. All part of the show. The next thing he noticed, however, was not.

The Origami Killer pulled his hand back out of his pocket, and with it came a piece of paper. He hadn't seem to notice it, as he turned around to meet up with his friend. The piece of paper slowly fell through the air. The moment they were out of sight, Roy knew he was going to have to grab it.

"Almost out of here," the Origami Killer said as the elevator door opened. The two stepped onto it, the door closing.

_They're gone!_

Roy dashed for the piece of paper. He lifted it up and read it aloud:

"961 Rainbow Lane."

_That must be where they're off to!_

Roy walked back to his office, picking up the telephone. He dialed 9-1-1.

After hearing the initial "What's your emergency?" speech, Roy replied, saying, "I need the police. I know where the Origami Killer's at."

**xXx**

Norman stared at the card he held in his hand.

"Level 2," he read aloud to Ethan. "The car's on Level 2."

Ethan nodded.

After a few moments of awkward silence, the elevator reached the second level of the garage, the doors sliding open.

Ethan clicked the "alarm" button on the keys, searching for the car. The '09 Mustang directly to their right started going off.

"We have a winner," Norman declared, heading for the passenger seat. He jumped in, closing the door. Ethan turned the alarm off before getting in as well.

"Shaun, here we come," Ethan sighed, starting the car up. "Where are we headed again?"

He reached inside his coat pocket for the unfolded origami figure.

"Rainbow Lane... 961 Rainbow Lane," Norman recalled.

"Aw shit..." Ethan moaned.

"What's the problem?"Norman asked.

"I dropped the fucking origami!" Ethan yelled. He took a deep breath. "You're sure it was 961 Rainbow Lane?"

"Almost positive," Norman nodded.

"You have to be right..." Ethan replied, starting the car up. "I can't believe I can't even remember... Shaun could die."

Norman caught sight of Ethan's hand when he set it on the steering wheel. He had blood-splattered gauze on his pinky finger. On top of that, his pinky looked like half the size of a normal one.

"What happened to your finger there?" Norman asked.

"The third trial," Ethan sighed. "I had to cut off my finger just to get a few letters."

"Was it worth it?" Norman asked him intently.

Ethan began backing the vehicle up, looking into the rearview mirror carefully.

"Any information I can get that helps me to find Shaun is worth it. I could have gotten half of one letter, and I'd be happy... well, as happy as I could be without having him with me..."

_Ethan is not the Origami Killer. He doesn't have to prove it anymore... _Norman thought to himself. _I believe him, 110%._

"961 Rainbow Lane it is," Ethan stated, driving the Mustang out of the garage.

**xXx**

Blake sat in his squad car. He pulled his black jacket closer around him. It was cold outside, and all the God damn rain wasn't helping matters.

_Guess it beats having Jayden bitching at me from the other seat..._

Norman, that stupid fuck. Blake knew he'd be trouble the moment he met him at the scene of Jeremy Bowel's death.

_"I'm Norman Jayden, FBI." _He didn't care where Norman came from.

Suddenly, Blake's cell started ringing. He quickly answered it.

"Carter," he spoke into it.

"Lt., we have the location of Mars and Norman," came Perry's voice from the other end.

A smile spread across Blake's face.

"Lay it on me."

**xXx**

The building they found at 961 Rainbow Lane was exactly what Ethan had been expecting: run-down and old.

"The last trial..." Ethan mumbled.

"You can do it, Ethan," Norman assured him.

"I hope so."

The two made their way inside the building.

Ethan was prepared to do anything to save Shaun. _Anything._

**xXx**

Room 207's doorway was decked out in police tape. Madison didn't care though. Police tape had never stopped her before. She ripped through the cautionary tape, stepping into Ethan's old room for the fourth time.

_Maybe he left a clue as to where he was going..._

Madison's gaze was directed to the desk by the sliding glass door. On it was an open shoebox. She made her way over to it.

_That's strange... you'd think the police would've taken a shoebox in as evidence or something... _

She peered inside of it. The contents of the box caused her jaw to drop: inside were four objects. Four animal-shaped paper objects.

Four origami figures.

_What the hell?_

**xXx**

A/N: See, this story isn't dead! I definitely haven't been too interested in working on it, but I hope I'll be able to finish it. I kind of rushed this one to get it out. Probably lost your interest in the story. Roy is not an OC; when playing "The Bear", he's the mechanic in the garage. Well, it's either Roy or Ray... it's kind of hard to tell. Apologies to anybody that read this chapter when his name was "Greg". I was attempting to go off this terrible memory of mine. Review this chapter and tell me what you think! The next one's crazy!


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